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The killing was carried out in September 1808 by the 21-year-old and his female accomplice and it was reported at the time that “the circumstances attending the horrid murder are truly shocking”.

As for the crime itself, it was stated that: “The unfortunate Mrs Newman, who was aunt to the wife of Gardner, was decoyed from her house by the unhappy malefactor, and a woman, his accomplice, when at a convenient distance from her dwelling, he struck her such a violent blow on the temple that felled her to the ground.”

Mrs Newman was then strangled using her own handkerchief before her body was thrown in to a river.

Hangman's noose

Meanwhile, Gardner and his accomplice had stolen her purse and split the money between them.

Gardner’s execution took place on April 5, 1809, and when he was brought out to the gallows he “acknowledged the crime for which he was about to suffer, and hoped that all the good people would take warning from his present unhappy situation, and never suffer themselves to be led away by man or woman, to do that which was wrong”.